Newman joins Zionsville guard Isaiah Thompson and New Castle forward Mason Gillis in Matt Painter’s next recruiting class. All three took their official visit together at the end of August for Purdue football's season opener against Northwestern.

All three were Indiana Junior All-Stars last season. Now, all three have pledged to play together beginning next season.

Newman, who announced his decision on Twitter, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Newman had also included Indiana, Ohio State and Xavier when releasing his top four teams on Sept. 2.

The 6-4, 175-pound Newman is considered a four-star recruit and ranked No. 131 on the 24/7 Sports composite rankings of the 2019 class. He averaged 25 points and 9.5 rebounds as a Valparaiso junior. He attracted more major conference attention while playing for Meanstreets on the Nike EYBL circuit in the spring and summer.

Purdue has now landed three early targets at three positions of need who all happen to come from in-state programs. Thompson projects as a point guard and Gillis can help stabilize the frontcourt going forward.

It's possible the Boilermakers could still add one or two more players to the 2019 class. Malik Hall, a forward from Sunrise Christian in Bel Aire, Kansas, made an official visit last weekend.

In Newman, the Boilermakers believe they're getting a physical guard whose improvement as a perimeter shooter helped push him to another level over the past year. He shot 43.1 percent from behind the arch last season for the Crusaders while attempting nearly five 3-pointers per game.

Painter several years ago committed to bringing a top-flight shooter in with each class, and Newman continues that strategy. With Ryan Cline set to graduate and Carsen Edwards potentially an early departure for the NBA, Newman can step in alongside Sasha Stefanovich and Eric Hunter as shooting threats.

Yet Newman can also get to the rim and finish when defenders overcommit on a closeout.